Project description:The potential for sexual reproduction in Aspergillus oryzae was assessed by investigating the presence and functionality of MAT genes. Previous genome studies had identified a MAT1-1 gene in the RIB40 reference strain. We now report the existence of a complimentary MAT1-2 gene and sequencing of an idiomorph region from A. oryzae strain AO6. This allowed the development of a PCR diagnostic assay, which detected isolates of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genotype among 180 strains assayed including industrial tane-koji isolates. Strains used for sake and miso production showed a near 1:1 ratio of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating-types, whereas strains used for soy sauce production showed a significant bias towards the MAT1-2 mating type. MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 isogenic strains were then created by genetic manipulation of the resident idiomorph, and comparisons were made of gene expression by DNA microarray and RT-PCR methodologies under conditions when MAT genes were expressed. 33 genes were found to be up-regulated greater than 10-fold in either the MAT1-1 host or MAT1-2 gene replacement strains relative to each other, showing that both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes functionally regulate gene expression in A. oryzae in a mating-type dependent manner, the first such report from a supposedly asexual fungus. MAT1-1 expression specifically up-regulated an a-pheromone precursor gene, but most genes affected were of unknown function. Results are consistent with a heterothallic breeding system in A. oryzae, and prospects for the discovery of a sexual cycle are discussed.
Project description:The potential for sexual reproduction in Aspergillus oryzae was assessed by investigating the presence and functionality of MAT genes. Previous genome studies had identified a MAT1-1 gene in the RIB40 reference strain. We now report the existence of a complimentary MAT1-2 gene and sequencing of an idiomorph region from A. oryzae strain AO6. This allowed the development of a PCR diagnostic assay, which detected isolates of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genotype among 180 strains assayed including industrial tane-koji isolates. Strains used for sake and miso production showed a near 1:1 ratio of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating-types, whereas strains used for soy sauce production showed a significant bias towards the MAT1-2 mating type. MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 isogenic strains were then created by genetic manipulation of the resident idiomorph, and comparisons were made of gene expression by DNA microarray and RT-PCR methodologies under conditions when MAT genes were expressed. 33 genes were found to be up-regulated greater than 10-fold in either the MAT1-1 host or MAT1-2 gene replacement strains relative to each other, showing that both MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 genes functionally regulate gene expression in A. oryzae in a mating-type dependent manner, the first such report from a supposedly asexual fungus. MAT1-1 expression specifically up-regulated an a-pheromone precursor gene, but most genes affected were of unknown function. Results are consistent with a heterothallic breeding system in A. oryzae, and prospects for the discovery of a sexual cycle are discussed. On a condition that induces mating-type genes descrived in growth protocol section, each cogenic MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 mating-type strains were processed into RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. In a speculation that genes involved in putative mating process were reguated in mating-type dependent manner, we designed the cogenic strains that differs only in mating-type gene locus to analyze differential gene expression of MAT1-1 vs MAT1-2 strains.
Project description:The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is an important microbial cell factory for industrial production of useful enzymes, such as α-amylase. In order to optimize the industrial enzyme production process, there is a need to understand fundamental processes underlying protein production, here under how protein production links to metabolism through global regulatory structures. In this study, two α-amylase-producing strains of A. oryzae, a wild type strain and a transformant strain containing additional copies of the α-amylase gene, were characterized at a systematic level. Based on integrated analysis of ome-data together with genome-scale metabolic network and flux calculation, we identified key genes, key enzymes, key proteins, and key metabolites involved in the processes of protein synthesis and secretion, nucleotide metabolism, and amino acid metabolism that can be the potential targets for improving industrial protein production. Keywords: Two Aspergillus oryzae strains and two different carbon sources
Project description:The filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae is an important microbial cell factory for industrial production of useful enzymes, such as α-amylase. In order to optimize the industrial enzyme production process, there is a need to understand fundamental processes underlying protein production, here under how protein production links to metabolism through global regulatory structures. In this study, two α-amylase-producing strains of A. oryzae, a wild type strain and a transformant strain containing additional copies of the α-amylase gene, were characterized at a systematic level. Based on integrated analysis of ome-data together with genome-scale metabolic network and flux calculation, we identified key genes, key enzymes, key proteins, and key metabolites involved in the processes of protein synthesis and secretion, nucleotide metabolism, and amino acid metabolism that can be the potential targets for improving industrial protein production. Keywords: Two Aspergillus oryzae strains and two different carbon sources Two carbon sources (glucose, maltose) with three biological replicates for A. oryzae strain A1560 and strain CF1.1
Project description:The full genome sequencing of the filamentous fungi Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae has opened the possibilities for studying the cellular physiology of these fungi on a systemic level. As a tool to explore this, we are presenting an Affymetrix GeneChip developed for transcriptome analysis of any of the three above-mentioned aspergilli. Transcriptome analysis of triplicate batch cultivations of all three aspergilli on glucose-and xylose media has been performed, and used to validate the performance of the micro array. By doing gene comparisons of all three species, and cross-analysing this with the expression data, 23 genes, including the xylose transcriptional activator XlnR, have been identified to be a conserved response across the Aspergillus sp. Promoter analysis of the upregulated genes in all three species suggest the XlnR-binding site to be 5’-GGNTAAA-3’. We are thus presenting a validated tool for transcription analysis of three Aspergillus species and a methodology for comparative transcriptomics. Keywords: Physiological response
Project description:Aspergillus flavus and A. oryzae represent two unique species predicted to have spent centuries in vastly different environments. A. flavus is an important opportunistic plant pathogen known for contaminating crops with the carcinogenic mycotoxin, aflatoxin and A. oryzae is a domesticated fungus used in food fermentations. Remarkably, the genomes of these two species are still nearly identical. We have used the recently sequenced genomes of A. oryzae RIB40 and A. flavus NRRL3357 along with array based comparative genome hybridization (CGH) as a tool to compare genomes across several strains of these two species. A comparison of three strains from each species by CGH revealed only 42 and 129 genes unique to A. flavus and A. oryzae, respectively. Further, only 709 genes were identified as being polymorphic between the species. Despite the high degree of similarity between these two species, correlation analysis among all data from the CGH arrays for all strains used in this study reveals a species split. However, this view of species demarcation becomes muddled when focused on only those genes for secondary metabolism.
Project description:The Aspergillus oryzae, an important filamentous fungus used in food fermentation and enzyme industry, has been revealed to own prominent features in its genomic compositions by genome sequencing and various other tools. However, the functional complexity of the A. oryzae transcriptome has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we applied direct high-throughput paired-end RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to the transcriptome of A. oryzae under four different culture conditions and confirmed most of the annotated genes. Moreover, with high resolution and sensitivity afforded by RNA-Seq, we were able to identify a substantial number of novel transcripts, new exons, untranslated regions, alternative upstream initiation codons (uATGs) and upstream open reading frames (uORFs), which serves a remarkable insight into the A. oryzae transcriptome. We also were able to assess the alternative mRNA isoforms in A. oryzae and found a large number of genes undergoing alternative splicing. Many genes or pathways that might involve in higher levels of protein production in solid-state culture than in liquid culture were identified by comparing gene expression levels between different cultures. Our analysis indicated that the transcriptome of A. oryzae was much more complex than previously anticipated and the results might provide a blueprint for further study of A. oryzae transcriptome. mRNA expression of Aspergillus oryzae in 4 different culture conditions was determined by method of RNA-Seq using short reads from high throughput sequencing technology.
Project description:Hypoxia imposes stress on filamentous fungi that require oxygen to proliferate. Global transcription analysis of Aspergillus oryzae grown under hypoxic conditions found that the expression of about 50% of 4,244 affected genes was either induced or repressed more than 2-fold. A comparison of these genes with the hypoxically-regulated genes of A. nidulans (Masuo et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 2010, 284:415-424) based on their predicted amino acid sequences classified them as bi-directional best hit (BBH), one-way best hit (extra homolog: EH) and no-hit (non-syntenic genes: NSG) genes. Clustering analysis of the BBH genes indicated that A. oryzae and A. nidulans down-regulated global translation and transcription under hypoxic conditions, respectively. Under hypoxic conditions, both fungi up-regulated genes for alcohol fermentation and the γ-aminobutyrate shunt of the tricarboxylate cycle, whereas A. oryzae up-regulated the glyoxylate pathway, indicating that both fungi eliminate NADH accumulation under hypoxic conditions. The A. oryzae NS genes included specific genes for secondary and nitric oxide metabolism under hypoxic conditions. This comparative transcriptomic analysis discovered common and strain-specific responses to hypoxia in hypoxic Aspergillus species.
Project description:The Aspergillus oryzae, an important filamentous fungus used in food fermentation and enzyme industry, has been revealed to own prominent features in its genomic compositions by genome sequencing and various other tools. However, the functional complexity of the A. oryzae transcriptome has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we applied direct high-throughput paired-end RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to the transcriptome of A. oryzae under four different culture conditions and confirmed most of the annotated genes. Moreover, with high resolution and sensitivity afforded by RNA-Seq, we were able to identify a substantial number of novel transcripts, new exons, untranslated regions, alternative upstream initiation codons (uATGs) and upstream open reading frames (uORFs), which serves a remarkable insight into the A. oryzae transcriptome. We also were able to assess the alternative mRNA isoforms in A. oryzae and found a large number of genes undergoing alternative splicing. Many genes or pathways that might involve in higher levels of protein production in solid-state culture than in liquid culture were identified by comparing gene expression levels between different cultures. Our analysis indicated that the transcriptome of A. oryzae was much more complex than previously anticipated and the results might provide a blueprint for further study of A. oryzae transcriptome.
Project description:Aspergillus flavus and A. oryzae represent two unique species predicted to have spent centuries in vastly different environments. A. flavus is an important opportunistic plant pathogen known for contaminating crops with the carcinogenic mycotoxin, aflatoxin and A. oryzae is a domesticated fungus used in food fermentations. Remarkably, the genomes of these two species are still nearly identical. We have used the recently sequenced genomes of A. oryzae RIB40 and A. flavus NRRL3357 along with array based comparative genome hybridization (CGH) as a tool to compare genomes across several strains of these two species. A comparison of three strains from each species by CGH revealed only 42 and 129 genes unique to A. flavus and A. oryzae, respectively. Further, only 709 genes were identified as being polymorphic between the species. Despite the high degree of similarity between these two species, correlation analysis among all data from the CGH arrays for all strains used in this study reveals a species split. However, this view of species demarcation becomes muddled when focused on only those genes for secondary metabolism. CGH comparison between 3 strains of A. flavus and 3 strains of A. oryzae, analyzed at the probe level